By the time her first album came out in 1984, Carmen González Kelz was busy touring throughout South America with extended stays in France. In 1989, she returned to Ecuador and began her study of the Afro-Ecuadorian traditions of Esmeraldas.
In 1992, her group Koral y Esmeralda had its first performance. She formed the group to promote these African rooted traditions from Ecuador’s Pacific coast. The group recorded Andarele in 1994 with the help of Cuban pianist and producer, Omar Sosa and recording engineer, Alcino ‘Kiko’ Donadel.
Rather than using an anonymous air-conditioned studio, Carmen and her colleagues decided to go to the source of the music which inspired them.
The idea behind Andarele was to integrate the traditions, the sound, the feel and the spirit of Esmeraldas with that of contemporary Afro-Latin music. And in so doing, to expose Esmeraldas to the world. Local musicians, local singers, local dancers, worked alongside top professionals specially brought to the “storehouse by the sea.” All were wined, dined and generally inspired to lay down some of the best tracks of their lives.
By 1995, Carmen González was back in France, working, singing, researching, followed by trips to Cuba and Quito, Ecuador.
Discography:
Andarele (Triple Earth, 1994)
Caramba (Network, 2000)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.